Insects Can Damage Your Roof And Lead To The Need For Roof Repairs To Stop And Prevent Leaks

You know you don't want bugs in your house where you can see them every day, but you may not give much thought to bugs hidden in your attic or roof. Bugs that live in your roof are out of sight and do their damage unseen. Certain types of bugs can cause a lot of roof damage that leads to a weak deck and roof leaks. Here are some bugs that are harmful to your roof and the type of roof damage they can cause.

Types Of Insects That Cause Roof Damage

Bugs that like to eat wood or burrow into wood are a threat to the deck and rafters of your roof. These include bees, wood-boring insects, carpenter ants, and termites. Other bugs, such as wasps, build nests under shingles on your roof. Silverfish can even be drawn to shingles that trap moisture because the moisture grows mold that silverfish like to eat.

Types Of Roof Damage Insects Can Cause

Insects cause roof damage directly by destroying part of your roof, and they also cause it indirectly by attracting animals and birds that damage your roof to get to the insects for a meal. A roof that has pest damage might have moisture problems that lead to rotting of the deck, and there could be shingle damage caused by birds pecking for insects.

However, much of the damage may be hidden so you're unaware of what's happening. Insects can burrow into wood so they aren't noticeable. All the while they destroy the wood and make your roof weak and susceptible to wind damage or collapse.

Types Of Roof Repairs You May Need

If the damage is caught early, your roof might be saved by making a few repairs. If the damage has been going on for a long time, it might be necessary to put on a whole new roof. The repairs may need to start with pest removal. If bees have invaded your roof, they should be removed so the damage they caused can be repaired.

Bees can hollow out wood to make room for their hive. The honey they produce can weaken wood and cause it to rot. Bees also attract animal and bird pests. Woodpeckers might escalate the damage to weakened wood by drilling holes to reach the bugs.

The roofer may need to put in new fascia boards and a new deck in the area where bees lived. Part of the wood support of your roof may need to be replaced due to termite or carpenter ant damage. Sometimes, only the deck is affected. This may require taking off old shingles to reach the deck so it can be replaced.

The goal of roof repairs is to replace damaged wood so your roof is structurally sound and dry so new shingles can be put on. A dry environment doesn't attract insects as easily as wet and rotting wood, and this helps keep bugs away. However, you may also need pest control treatments for your attic and property to make sure bugs, such as termites, don't infest your roof again.

Contact a company that offers roof repair services to learn more.